More than four million people in France have difficulty walking. This figure is 70 million in Europe. The limited capacity of hospitals forces patients to turn to small establishments that often do not have the workforce, the space, or the financial resources to obtain the appropriate equipment.
EzyGain was designed in 2016 to meet this need. In 2015, disability-aware CEO Zineb Agoumi met Doctor Thierry Albert, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation who invented a new walking rehabilitation technique. They designed an innovative re-education treadmill with pelvic body-weight support and integrated sensor walking analysis.
The compact, affordable Ema® device is patented in Europe and the USA and sold to nursing homes, rehabilitation and post-acute care rehabilitation centers, physiotherapy practices, and even patients in their homes.
Since 2018, over 200 establishments have used EzyGain devices. The start-up won the BPI France 2018 Disability and Innovation Prize.
The harness enables the user to stand up automatically from their wheelchair: “Caregivers are able to move patients into position in a minute instead of 10 to 15 with other systems, which saves a huge amount of time,” explains Zineb Agoumi, CEO and co-founder of EzyGain. The harness bears up to 100% of the patient’s weight (as required) and protects them from falling when exercising and during the sit-to-stand transfer.
The Ema® integrated sensors enable real-time analysis of the user’s progress (walking cycle breakdown, pressure center position, symmetrical walking dynamics, speed). The professional monitors and coordinates walking exercises on a tablet facing the patient and can personalize the rehabilitation therapy.
AMY®, the home version, was launched in 2021.
EZYGAIN INTEGRATES VIRTUAL REALITY
In 2021, EzyGain launched EMA vr®, the first treadmill equipped with virtual reality. It offers a more enjoyable rehabilitation experience for patients, who are able to engage fully in the walking and upper limb rehabilitation exercises.
Two fundraising rounds in 2017 and 2019 allowed EzyGain to launch its new products and win new markets in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, and Hong Kong.